South Korea’s parliament impeached acting President Han Duck-Soo, following the recent impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The vote came after Han blocked judges' appointments for Yeol’s case. Han’s impeachment requires Constitutional Court confirmation within 180 days.
South Korea's parliament has voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-Soo, just two weeks after the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Han, who assumed the role of acting president following Yeol's impeachment for attempting to impose martial law, faced the new motion after he blocked the appointment of three judges tasked with overseeing Yeol's case. Opponents argued that Han was stalling the impeachment process.
The vote on Friday saw chaos in the National Assembly. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) protested when it was announced that only 151 votes would be needed to pass the impeachment, rendering their votes unnecessary. PPP lawmakers, many of whom boycotted the vote, chanted accusations of "abuse of power" and demanded the speaker step down. In the end, 192 lawmakers voted in favor of Han's impeachment.
Han's suspension will take effect once he is officially notified by parliament. However, his impeachment, like Yeol’s, will need confirmation from South Korea’s Constitutional Court, which has up to 180 days to rule on the matter.
Han expressed respect for the National Assembly's decision and stated that he would await the court's ruling.
